Terrace House (franchise)

Terrace House (Japanese: テラスハウス, Hepburn: Terasu Hausu) is a Japanese reality television show franchise consisting of five series and one theatrical film. The show follows the lives of six strangers, three men and three women from different walks of life, who live under the same roof while getting to know and date each other.[1]

"Terrace House" redirects here. For row houses, see Terraced house.
Terrace House
GenreReality
Presented byYou
Reina Triendl
Yoshimi Tokui
Azusa Babazono
Ryota Yamasato
Hiroomi Tosaka
Ayumu Mochizuki
Kentaro
Shono Hayama
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
Production
ProducerMasato Maeda
Running timeVaries
Production companies
  • Fuji Television (2012–present)
  • Netflix (2015–present)
Release
Original networkFuji Television, Netflix
Picture format1080p (16:9 HDTV)
Original releaseOctober 12, 2012 (2012-10-12) –
present
External links
Website

The first series, subtitled Boys × Girls Next Door,[2] originally aired on Fuji Television's "Cool TV" segment from October 12, 2012, to September 29, 2014, after which the 2015 standalone film Closing Door was released as a conclusion to the show.[3] Subsequent series were produced as Fuji TV and Netflix co-productions, internationally premiering as a Netflix Original while also airing on Fuji Television within Japan.[4] The second series, subtitled Boys & Girls in the City,[5] aired from September 2, 2015, to September 27, 2016, and moved the setting from the Shōnan area to central Tokyo. For the third series the show moved from Japan to Hawaii, airing from November 1, 2016, to August 29, 2017, under the subtitle Aloha State.[6] The fourth series, subtitled as Opening New Doors, moved the show back to Japan in Nagano prefecture and aired from December 19, 2017, to February 12, 2019.[7] The fifth and most recent series, Tokyo 2019–2020, began airing on May 14, 2019, and aired its last episode on May 19, 2020, when it was cancelled due to the suicide of cast member Hana Kimura.[8][9]

The show has received positive reviews for its earnest take on the reality TV format.[1][10][11][12] Since releasing internationally the show has become a global sleeper hit and developed a cult following.[13][14]

Overview

Terrace House is an unscripted reality television show that follows six strangers who move in together as they build friendships and relationships.[12] The group is composed of three women and three men aged from their teens to their 30s. While not explicitly described as a dating show, Terrace House has been labeled as such by several reviewers.[1][15][16] Viewing drama comes from watching members pursue romance and deal with the differences in their personalities, morals, hopes, and dreams.[17][15]

The show provides access to a furnished house and two cars, all of which are equipped with cameras, in a fly on the wall style. While in Terrace House, members keep their day jobs and are allowed to go about their daily lives as they please. Occasionally, the cameras will also provide insight into the members' personal lives, their workplace, friends, and family, but heavily focuses on capturing dates between housemates and meaningful group events. Should one of the housemates decide to permanently leave the show, a new member of the same gender is invited to join upon the previous housemate's departure.

A group of studio commentators introduce each episode and watch along with the viewer, providing real-time commentary. At regular intervals, the show cuts to the panel as they analyze conversations, decipher members' body language, and joke about the last 10 minutes of footage.[1][12][16]

In a December 2017 interview with Metropolis, former Aloha State cast mate Lauren Tsai referred to Terrace House as "probably the least real reality show." She claimed that the film crew only showed up a few hours a day (and not even everyday) or when there was a notable excursion, like a date or group outing, and that the housemates were told not to talk for the remaining 20 or so hours of the day. Although confirming it is unscripted, Tsai said the crew told them in general what topics to talk about and through editing told a story; "they don't tell us exactly what to say, but they know what kind of story they want to edit in their minds, so they force the content to be created."[18] Metropolis later deleted these parts of the online article. In July 2020, The New York Times reported that all Terrace House cast members sign non-disclosure agreements barring them from talking about what happens behind the scenes.[19] Three former housemates interviewed by the Times alleged staff manipulation of events, while at least two others said they never received any specific instructions.[19]

Series

Boys × Girls Next Door (2012–2014)
Main article: Terrace House: Boys × Girls Next Door

Boys & Girls in the City (2015–2016)
Main article: Terrace House: Boys & Girls in the City

Aloha State (2016–2017)
Main article: Terrace House: Aloha State

Opening New Doors (2017–2019)
Main article: Terrace House: Opening New Doors

Tokyo 2019–2020 (2019–2020)
Main article: Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020

Studio commentators
Presenter Boys × Girls Next Door Boys & Girls in the City Aloha State Opening New Doors Tokyo 2019–2020
You Ep 1–98 Ep 1–46 Ep 1–36 Ep 1–49 Ep 1–40
Reina Triendl Ep 14–98 Ep 1–46 Ep 1–36 Ep 1–49 Ep 1–40, 43–44
Yoshimi Tokui Ep 26–98 Ep 1–46 Ep 1–36 Ep 1–49 Ep 1–24
Azusa Babazono Ep 26–98 Ep 1–46 Ep 1–36 Ep 1–49 Ep 1–40
Ryota Yamasato Ep 26–98 Ep 1–46 Ep 1–36 Ep 1–49 Ep 1–44
Hiroomi Tosaka Ep 26–98
Ayumu Mochizuki Ep 1–18
Kentaro Ep 19–46 Ep 1–36
Shono Hayama Ep 1–49 Ep 1–40

Guest commentators
Presenter Boys × Girls Next Door Boys & Girls in the City Aloha State Opening New Doors Tokyo 2019–2020
Hanamaru Hakata Ep 89, 95–96
Tsukasa Saito Ep 10–11, 14–17
Kenta Maeda Ep 45
Rui Hachimura Ep 13–14
Yu Tamura Ep 25–26
Chiemi Buruzon Ep 29–30
Eiichiro Funakoshi Ep 31–32
Mei Nagano Ep 33–36
Asami Mizukawa Ep 39–40

Notes
1.^ The studio commentator lineup for Tokyo 2019–2020 went through changes during the season. In October 2019, Yoshimi Tokui took a break from entertainment after it was revealed he neglected to pay appropriate taxes for three years.[20] In April 2020, the show temporarily stopped production due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan,[21] then resumed airing episodes in May 2020 with Ryota Yamasato and Reina Triendl hosting the commentary segments.[22] The rest of the season was canceled following the death of cast member Hana Kimura.[23]

Reception

Critical reception

Terrace House received praise for bringing reality back to reality television, with the lack of drama making the show distinctive, relaxing and addictive.[1][11][24] GQ magazine described the show as "the reality show for people who hate reality shows" adding it will take over your life as you become heavily invested in minute happenings.[12]

Troy Patterson of the New Yorker praised the slow-burning action which is "sparked by the honest friction of minor personality flaws and conflicting personal needs", commenting that the show is closer to a nature documentary than to the exploitation films that people now expect from reality television: "If the producers massage their interactions with an eye toward creating conflict, they do so with the subtlest hand the genre has ever seen."[11] In Justin McElroy's review for Polygon, he lauded the show as infinitely fascinating, "In a reality TV landscape cluttered by fame-hungry pseudo-human caricatures, Terrace House stands alone by simply letting actual humans be delightfully, heartbreakingly human."[10] Andrew Ridker, writing for The New York Times Magazine, described the show as staggeringly banal yet capable of genuine literary excellence. On the compelling nature of the housemates Ridker stated, "I found myself identifying with the housemates in a powerful way. Their lives are just so real."[24] In The Guardian's review titled "Terrace House: the must-watch Japanese reality show in which nothing happens", Rachel Aroesti describes the show as a sleeper hit and attributed its success to the comforting viewing experience, describing it as meditative in nature. Aroesti went on to describe the show as an example of truth being more compelling than fiction, "For everybody who has been consistently disappointed with the gulf between the principles of reality TV and the actual reality, Terrace House might be the genre’s saving grace."[13] Writing for BBC News, Yvette Tan suggests the success of Terrace House is due to its mutedness: "It's quiet and calm on the eyes. It's got soothing colours, the people are nice and speak in more muted tones." Tan suggests this contrast against other "neon" reality TV, which shouts for attention with bright colours and loud contestants, is part of Terrace House's appeal as a reality TV antidote.[1]

Terrace House's studio commentators have been cited as a highlight of the show and for setting it apart from other reality TV series.[25][26] Reviewers also note how they provide international viewers with context on Japanese cultural nuances.[14][25][27] Lindsey Weber of Elle wrote that "by watching “with” you and reacting alongside, the gang amplifies the awkward, funny, and (their description, not mine) utterly Japanese moments" and proves that every reality show should have a panel of commentators.[26] The Ringer's Nicole Bae noted that the commentators also "provide a level of consistency to anchor the show. For a series as staid as Terrace House, the hosts offer a dose of wit to keep the proceedings lively."[25]

The show was described by Clio Chang in Esquire as "the perfect show to watch with your mum" due to its PG approach to dating. Chang comments the shows tensions ultimately revolve around small differences in each character’s personality and morals, which makes Terrace House "just the right level of drama to dissect with your mother after dinner."[15]

On the success of Terrace House's seemingly drama free approach to reality TV, Dr Griseldis Kirsch, senior lecturer in contemporary Japanese culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies commented "I think one reason why the show might be so appealing is that we're able to relate more to the people in the show. You're able to imagine yourself in their shoes."[1]

Judy Berman of Time listed Terrace House: Opening New Doors at number six on a list of the best TV shows of 2018.[28]

Ratings

During the initial run of Boys × Girls Next Door on Fuji Television audience share increased from an average of 5.5% at the start of the series to 6.9% at the end. Episode 74 had the highest viewing figures with an audience share of 9.1%.[29] While Netflix doesn’t publicly release its viewer data, Netflix Japan content manager Kaata Sakamoto told Buzzfeed News the show had exceeded their expectations in terms of international viewership.[14]

References
  1. Tan, Yvette (2018-06-29). "Japan's nice, calm antidote to Love Island". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  2. "テラスハウス - フジテレビ". フジテレビ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  3. "テラスハウス クロージング・ドア". テラスハウス クロージング・ドア (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  4. "Netflix、9月2日よりサービス開始". シネマトゥデイ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  5. "TERRACE HOUSE BOYS & GIRLS IN THE CITY". TERRACE HOUSE BOYS & GIRLS IN THE CITY (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  6. "Terrace House Aloha State". Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  7. "テラスハウス OPENING NEW DOORS". テラスハウス OPENING NEW DOORS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  8. "Fuji TV to end reality show "Terrace House" after cast member death". Kyodo News. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  9. "Current season of 'Terrace House' cancelled following death of cast member Hana Kimura". The Japan Times. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  10. "Terrace House fixes what's broken in reality TV". Polygon. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  11. "The Genial Voyeurism of the Japanese Reality Show "Terrace House"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  12. Rivera, Joshua (2018-07-06). "This Is the Netflix Reality Show for People Who Hate Reality Shows". GQ. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  13. Aroesti, Rachel (2017-10-18). "Terrace House: the must-watch Japanese reality show in which nothing happens". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  14. "How A Japanese Reality TV Show About Nothing Became A Global Hit". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  15. "'Terrace House' Is the Perfect Show to Watch With Your (My) Mom". Esquire. 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  16. Ryall, Julian (2018-06-29). "Japanese fall for tranquil reality of Terrace House, the polite answer to Love Island". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  17. "help! i'm obsessed with netflix's terrace house". I-d. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  18. Siegel, Taryn (2017-12-22). "Lauren Tsai - Drawing inspiration from disparate places". Metropolis. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
  19. Margolis, Eric (2020-07-20). "The Fall of 'Terrace House'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  20. "Japanese comedian Tokui apologizes over $1 million in unreported income". The Mainichi. October 24, 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  21. Brzeski, Patrick (2020-04-13). "Netflix's 'Terrace House' Halts Production as Coronavirus Lockdowns Finally Come to Japan". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  22. "『テラハ』1ヶ月ぶり4話限定で配信再開 スタジオから山里亮太が"ぼっち"出演". Oricon News. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  23. Schilling, Mark (27 May 2020). "'Terrace House Tokyo' Canceled After Hana Kimura Death". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  24. "Letter of Recommendation: 'Terrace House'". Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  25. Bae, Nicole (2017-07-11). "What Makes 'Terrace House' Such a Delightful Netflix Binge". The Ringer. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  26. Weber, Lindsey (2018-10-24). "'Terrace House' Proves That Every Reality Show Should Have a Panel". Elle. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  27. Serrels, Mark (2019-03-12). "Terrace House on Netflix is an antidote to a world gone insane". CNET. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  28. Berman, Judy (2018-11-15). "The 10 Best TV Shows of 2018". Time. Retrieved 2019-08-17.
  29. "テラスハウス視聴率の完全なまとめ　過去最高・最低記録だったのはいつ？ ｜ 裏テラスハウス物語". niche-domain-news.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-09-21.
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